Monday, May 28, 2012

Allergic Asthma?

I forgot to take my nightly dose of licorice. And my body really cared about that. It missed it like some people miss Bill Clinton's presidency.

By the time I was a slumped lump with the toddler in the church nursery, literally unable to keep my eyes open and trying to figure out where on the floor I could lay down without anyone seeing me, I realized I probably should stress dose.

There was a lot of breakfast and my morning vitamins in my stomach so it seemed like it took forever for 5mg to hit me, but ever so gradually, I could keep my eyes open.

Yes, that was the big battle of my day. Not sprawling across frayed church carpet and staying conscious. I still konked out later, in my bed, at home, without any public drooling, which I count as a win.

It's interesting to note that my am cortisol a few weeks ago was 15. Not too shabby. Quite good in fact. I continue to believe it's an issue of responding to stress--that I don't have the full spectrum of functionality. Which is almost impossible to measure with blood work. I would need an ITT or OMM to even come close to understanding the failures in my HPA axis.

Anyway, from there, I had some salsa. Tomatoes are an iffy food for me these days, sometimes okay, sometimes not. This time not. Or rather, I think the big chunks of pepper were the problem.

The interesting thing, it caused an asthma flare. I began hacking, my throat began to itch (an itch I've known to be asthma in the past) and I got a little flash of heart burn (although, thankfully, no eruption of Mt. Acid).

Okay, so now I want to say I don't think I've had food allergies all along. I think this is a new development. That I had GERD, which is currently controlled with the enzymes, but now allergies are coming up. I've had some sensitivity to peppers off and on since my 20s, but food triggering asthma is completely new, never experienced before.

The reason I back track is I was remembering when GERD started for me and I ate no trigger foods for weeks and weeks and it didn't improve. So the GERD is not as simple as never eating another tomato or pepper.

I think I have new food allergies, which is not great news. It would've been better the way I originally took it, that they'd been there all along. The last thing I need is an even more hyper-sensitive system!

Now what do I do about it? Avoid the offending foods and what? Am I really never going to eat chocolate again? Or tomato bisque? Or cucumber salad? Ever?

I did test some organic cocoa powder in a smoothie. It did not cause heartburn, but I did have some nausea. I want to try it one more time with a smaller dose.

1 comment:

I know my food allergy issues are more sensitive during "allergy season" than in say the middle of winter/summer(even though I don't test positive for seasonal allergies). You could try an elimination diet(to narrow down) or try to convince one of the doc's to do RAST(blood test). I haven't done an elimination diet but I probably should. Best of luck with the allergies, make friends with benadryl? (Won't help with the tired factor, but getting allergies under control does).

Support a Patient

Lost in the Desert

Patient Cliff Notes

I'm categorized as a severe persistent asthmatic* and I have a history of HPA axis suppression due to steroids used to treat the asthma.

Doctors miss the HPA axis suppression every time and actively fight me on it. I've had am cortisols of 1 and 6 and ACTH of less than 5, yet the doctors still can't get on board. The medical myopia and general lack of adrenal knowledge is horrifying.

How did I ever get diagnosed? I took premed classes for 2 years (during a health upswing) and figured it out.

I thought since previous rounds of suppression have been so well documented, I wouldn't have a problem again. I was wrong.

I've been fighting the current round of Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency since March 2010. It has eviscerated my ability to work and to function as a normal human being. Which sucks since I have a toddler who just wants her momma to play with her.

*eh... I bet it'll go back to moderate persistent, once the excitement of last year's hospitalization dies down.

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